Some people have never heard of this growing giant that has become a worldwide phenomenon. I honestly don’t know when it all started, but from what I can remember back in my tracking days it was really fun. You register , drive to the track and race not against others bumper to bumper, but against the Clock. You have to set a time and beat it every chance you get. The only thing is, no audience and really no true payout or anything like that. Now we got events throughout the US and if it wasn’t noticeable before, everywhere in the world, it’s a Big thing, especially in Japan on the Standard Tsukuba Circuit hundreds, if not thousands of cars fill up the tracks in Japan on Time Attack days. Germany, the UK and of course Australia, where they hold the Grand daddy of them all “World Time Attack Challenge“. Here in the US we have “Buttonwillow“, it’s our standard and our the place to set records.

This year’s Global Time Attack’s Super Lap Battle did it again and even better. Pretty much the Last Time Attack Event and Finale of the season, everyone knows this is the place to do it Big or go home. The grid showed cars from all over even as far as Canada like William Au-Yeung and his pztuning.ca sponsored Turbo RSX that not only won the Limited FWD Class but took home the new record at a 1:51.789. Followed very closely was Tim Kuo and the Sportcar Motion Acura Integra who managed a 1:51.916. In Limited RWD Cody Kishel and his Excelsior Motorsports 2013 Chevy Corvette was looking fast all day and based on the Road Atlanta event, I honestly thought a Corvette from the V8 Stable was going to take the overall record, but he was only able to get a 1:44.456.

With every Global Time Attack event there comes new cars and new teams. This Super Lap Battle had well over 63 plus teams and counting, but what made this one special other than the Tony Szirka and Evasive Motorsports guys was new blood. Formula Drift driver Danny George (whoagain) came out with his V8 Powered Miata, yeah, I know big deal he’s got a huge motor and a small car he can just go fast on the straights. Nope Danny actually powered that monster the best he could without going sideways. Keep in mind this car was built to drift, no aero, no special parts to keep it at bay but skill and will. Also, thanks to his tuner Kyle, who contributed with some backyard moves and it being Danny’s first true Time Attack event he captured a 1:53.8. Another FD driver Dai Yoshihara who happened to compete and drive several cars in the past at SLB, was the pilot behind the Spoon Sports USA Honda Civic. Shining bright yellow and blue he won his class at a 1:48. Lastly the overall record was finally smashed, being gone for some time Mike Warfield brought out the GST Motorsports Subaru with Westphal driving the beast and chasing the clock that never lies, a 1:38.967!  Beating the previous record 1:41.2 held by Billy Johnson and the FXMD NSX.

What does this all mean for the future of Time Attack? The teams that weren’t there will be back competing and will try to get their title back. Also, if you’re thinking like me we will start seeing Drivers from other Motorsports transitioning into Time Attack partially or full-blown. Will it be from FD? IDRC? or Rally? It doesn’t matter, but it’s going to happen and more drivers are going to want other challenges. Crowds are and will get bigger, because what everyone wants or wants to see will always garner new and more people that want the same. The sponsors are building up just like our friends events in Japan and Australia, it’s a matter of time when the roster gets bigger and that means more contingency money and bigger payouts. Although as enthusiasts of the Sport we can care less about the money but it doesn’t hurt. Time Attack here is Big because the GTA staff is truly great at what they do, no gimmicks, and no special favors. They make me and everyone feel right at home, as a photographer, I have zero issues and I can be where I need to be at all times. For the teams, we are there to break records and compete, but at the end of the day we all come together like family and talk about everything cars and then some. But the most memorable thing that I witnessed at this event was at the very end after the champagne splashing and running around like we just graduated.  Jason Dienheart said it best “Keep Time Attack fun and alive, keep supporting it and keep coming to the events even if it’s not mine”. – Rommel Estrada #timeattack #globaltimeattack #superlapbattle2014 #motolyric #trackhookers